Comparison · July 2026
Looking for an RMR Training Alternative?
What RMR does well
Rich Ryan's program library is the most recommended in the sport, and the reputation is earned. The race-phase programming is deep, the sessions are credible, and at ~$49.95 it's a one-off cost, not another subscription. For thousands of athletes, RMR is the program that took them from “training hard” to “training for HYROX.”
If you're happy self-adjusting a proven plan, you can stop reading — RMR is the strongest template on the market, and we'd rather you follow it well than follow anything else badly.
Where the template model stops
The gaps below aren't RMR failing at its job. They're the boundaries of what any template can be — the same lines PRVN, Centr, and every pre-written program run into.
It doesn't know your paces.The plan says “tempo effort” or gives a pace band built for a population, not for you. Every session, you're converting someone else's intensity into your own — and most athletes convert optimistically.
It's periodised to a start date, not your race date.You count back from race day and pick an entry point. If your race is 9 weeks out and the program is 12, you're the one deciding which three weeks to cut — which is the hardest programming decision in the whole block, handed to the least qualified person in the room: the athlete two months from a race.
It can't see your week.Travel, a missed session, a cranky knee — the PDF doesn't move. You either force the plan or improvise around it, and improvised weeks are where blocks quietly fall apart.
Nothing carries forward. Finish the program and the next one starts from the same page one, whether your sled push got 20% stronger or not.
A quiz that routes you to a template is a real convenience. It is not the same thing as a program that was written for you.
What “written for you” looks like instead
Blocksmith programs your entire block from your race date, schedule, equipment, injuries, and weak stations — and writes every session in full: paces computed from your zones, sled loads, sets, reps, rest periods, and a coach note explaining why the session exists.
When your week changes, the plan negotiates. Tell the refinement chat your knee's flared up or your Thursdays are gone, and it proposes a change to the block — you see exactly what changed before you accept it, and the change has to obey the same recovery and phasing rules as the original program. That's the adjustment work a template hands to you, handled.
And when the block ends, nothing resets. The next block starts from what you actually logged — the loads you lifted, the stations you didn't fix, the sessions your real week couldn't hold. Page one of a template is the same for everyone, every time; block two of Blocksmith already knows you.
Underneath it all sits an engine, not a paraphrased prompt — paces computed in code, phases enforced, invalid weeks rejected before you ever see them.
$9.99/month or $79.99/year — less than one session with a HYROX coach. First block free, no account required.
Honest comparison
| Feature | RMR Training | Blocksmith |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Champion template library | Coaching intelligence |
| Price | ~$49.95 one-off | $9.99/mo · $79.99/yr |
| Sessions written in full | Yes, within the template | Yes — your paces, loads, rest |
| Knows your pace zones | No | Yes — computed, not estimated |
| Periodised to your race date | Partial (count-back start) | Yes |
| Mid-block changes | You adjust the template yourself | Coach-style refinement: proposed changes, shown as a diff, rules enforced |
| Remembers your training across blocks | No | Yes — next block starts from your logs |
| Community reputation | Strongest in the sport | Earning it |
That last row is real. RMR has years of finish lines behind it; we have an engine we can show you and a free first block to prove it on.
Prices verified early July 2026; check current pricing before subscribing.
Who should choose which
Stay with RMR if:you're self-sufficient, you like owning the adjustments, and a proven library matters more to you than individualisation. That's a legitimate way to train — most good self-coached athletes train exactly like this.
Try Blocksmith if: you want the plan built around your race date and your numbers, you want the hard decisions (what to cut at 9 weeks, how to reshuffle a travel week) made by the programming rather than by you, and you want next block to know what happened in this one.
FAQ
Is RMR Training worth it for HYROX?
Yes — it's the most-recommended template in the sport and the programming is credible. The question isn't whether RMR is good; it's whether a template fits how you train. If you self-adjust well, it does.
What's the difference between a template and a written block?
A template is a proven plan you adapt to yourself — you supply the paces, the calendar surgery, and the mid-block judgment. A written block is built from your race date and your numbers, with every session fully prescribed and the adjustments handled by the programming.
Is Blocksmith cheaper than RMR?
Differently shaped. RMR is ~$49.95 once; Blocksmith is $9.99/month or $79.99/year. Over one 8–12-week block they cost about the same. The difference is what you get: a library you adapt versus a block written for your race — and a next block that starts from what you actually did.
Can I use both?
Plenty of athletes will run an RMR block one season and a Blocksmith block the next. If you race more than once a year, comparing how each prepared you for race day is the honest test — and the one we'd encourage.
See how all nine HYROX training apps compare → Best HYROX Training Apps in 2026